Hello, I am searching for the ship/manifest that my ggrandmother immigrated on.  So far, I have not been able to locate any ship record or manifest.  I am hoping someone might be able to help or have some ideas. Her name at the time was Johanna Lakowke.  She immigrated either 1879 or 1881.  The 1900 census indicates 1881 and the 1920 census indicates 1879.  She married my ggrandfather, Albert Behrendt, Oct. 1881 in Chicago. I have a  copy of their marriage license.  Her maiden name on the license was spelled as I've indicated above.   I have come across various spellings of her name, such as: LaKowski; LaKosky.  Her fathers name was Marten.  She had a brother Carl or Karl and a sister Caroline.  I don't know if anyone else in her family came to America.   Johanna was born in 1863 in Lauenberg, Pommern, Germany. My ggrandfather came through the Port of Baltimore on the SS Berlin in 1872.  He also came from Pommern and believe they knew each other prior to coming to America.   I am thinking she may also came via Baltimore but so far I've not found any record.  It has crossed my mind she may have sailed under a different name if someone else paid her passage or with another family. Any assistance is appreciated.  Thank you in advance. Joan in Wisconsin

There are so many variables when it come to finding the "real" names of people & places. Although this article is specifically about a Lithuanian family, the principles are still exactly the same: "Seeing Your Family Tree through the Forest" http://www.newenglandancestors.org/research/services/56_seeing_tree_through_forest.asp With my Prussian immigrants, among the records of my grandmother & her 14 kids, I've come across 35 different surnames for her. Not only variations, but different names (Bard to Obarowsky) - there's not even a consensus. The woman has children that gave her name completely differently each time they married. When she died, my grandfather didn't know her name. And don't get me started about dates! I have aunts AND uncles whose birth dates varied by years on each of their marriage documents. Presumably their death dates are accurate, though. Yup, I come from a line of people with horrible short-term memories! .^_^. --- On Wed, 1/20/10, JB <[email protected]> wrote: ...I have a  copy of their marriage license.  Her maiden name on the license was spelled as I've indicated above.   I have come across various spellings of her name, such as: LaKowski; LaKosky...  Joan